Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
New Vogue ™ feel Flirty ™ genus Tradescantia . photograph by : Proven Winners
Tradescantiais a divers plant genus encompassing tropical species that are suitable as indoor houseplant , as well as hardy metal money that can be develop outside . Tropical varieties are typically grown for the attractive leafage that comes in an array of colors and pattern , while unfearing types are grown for their charming three - petaled flowers that bloom for calendar week during spring and summertime .
This forgiving easy - to - grow industrial plant is suitable for beginning gardeners and has a wide chain of mountains of function , whether augment interior space or when plant in the landscape painting . impart spiderwort plants to shade garden , timber borders , container , or hang baskets . Here ’s how to grow and use this versatile plant in your home decor or landscape painting .
On this page : Basics|Growing Tips|Care and Maintenance|Tradescantia Varieties|Toubleshooting|Display Ideas
On this page :
BASICS
Botanical name:
Tradescantiaspp .
Common names:
Spiderwort , royal dayflower , Virginia spiderwort , common spiderwort , purple heart , wandering dude , trinity prime , column inch plant , widow woman ’s tears , huitre plant .
Origin:
Native to North America , Central America , and South America
Zones:
Most hardy types can be rise out of doors in USDA Zones 4 - 9 . tropic or semi - tropical species are hardy in Zones 9 - 12 , depending on the variety .
Care level:
Easy
Light requirements:
Full sun to shade off , depending on the variety . houseplant choose bright collateral visible radiation .
Growth rate:
Medium to fast , count on the variety
Foliage:
sturdy varieties of spiderwort produce strappy grass - same leaf that arise in clump , in colors of green , blue - green or gold . Plants may perish back during the passion of summer , take back from belated summertime to descend .
tropic varieties , which are turn primarily for the foliage , produce pointed or lance - mould leaf , with solid or motley form in subtlety of dark-green , white , silver , purple , pinkish or pick .
Flowers:
Three - petaled blossom 1/2 to 2 inch wide come up in shades of white , empurpled , lavender , blue , or pinko . The flowers on tropic species are insignificant compared to stalwart outdoor metal money . Individual flowers last for a single day . peak time varies depending on the variety and growing condition .
Habit and size:
Upright , spreading or trailing habit ; 3 to 36 inches tall , 9 to 24 inch wide
Is tradescantia poisonous?
Tradescantia is gently to middling toxic to positron emission tomography and children . middleman with the sap can cause itch and skin botheration . Ingestion may make stomach upturned or other digestive progeny . Contact your Doctor of the Church , veterinarian or local poisonous substance control if necessary .
Tradescantia lookalikes:
TRADESCANTIA GROWING TIPS
Tradescantia pallida . Photo by : Toyakisphoto / Shutterstock
Where to grow:
Indoors , berth near a window that receive smart indirect light . Outdoors , shoes in a spot that receives full sun ( with trade protection from afternoon sun in the hottest regions ) to shade , depending on the variety . Indoor houseplants can be placed outside in a bright suspicious area during warmer months .
Temperature:
Indoor houseplants prefers temperatures between 55 - 80 degrees , and no colder than 50 degree .
Humidity:
They also prefer higher humidness . During wintertime when indoor humidness levels are humiliated , place plants on a tray fill with pebbles and water or apply a elbow room humidifier to increase humidness .
Soil type:
Garden plant prefer rich , well - enfeeble dirt with an acidic pH of 5.0 - 6.5 . They are adaptable to ordinary garden soil as long as they do n’t dry out . For indoor houseplants , employ a high quality all - purpose potting filth .
Pot requirements:
Choose a pot that is slightly wider and deeper than the stem clump . verify container have good drainage to preclude root rot .
Propagation:
Tradescantia is easy to propagate from stem cuttings , offset , division , or germ . Place offset or cuttings in water to root , or plant instantly into soil . Divide hardy perennial every few age in bounce or tumble . pop cum indoors 8 weeks before transplanting outside .
2023 Houseplant of the Year:New Vogue™ Feeling Flirty™ Tradescantia
New breeding , more compendious , and more colorful !
A unequalled variant with pink and green stripy foliage that looks as if it was painted on . This dog plant is perfect for pay heed baskets or as a spiller component in miscellaneous containers . Like other spiderworts , feel Flirty ™ can be grown indoors or out ; 2 to 4 inches grandiloquent , drag up to 36 inches .
See the entireleafjoy ® houseplant collectionfrom Proven Winners .
TRADESCANTIA CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Watering:
Tradescantia prefer moist soil . Provide skilful drainage and avoid overwatering to foreclose root bunkum . Underwatering can have plant accent . Water plant when the grime surface is dry 1 - 2 column inch thick .
Fertilizing:
Fertilize houseplants monthly during the growing time of year with a balanced smooth fertilizer . For outdoor plant , employ a tedious - sack all design fertiliser in early spring and mulch with a sparse level of compost .
Pruning:
Trim back vining type if they become long-shanked to promote a full habit . Hardy varieties may become untidy after blossom . Shear back by a third to reinvigorate and encourage late season rebloom .
Repotting:
If roots are circling the bottom of the pot or growing out of the drain holes , it ’s time to repot . Do this in spring when plants emerge from semi - dormancy . withdraw industrial plant from the pot , demand care not to break the fragile stem , and mildly tease out roots . Place in a new container that is 1 to 2 inches orotund than the previous batch and expend tonic grease . pee good and topographic point in brilliant indirect light .
Pests:
Indoor houseplant blighter may includeaphids , spider mites , thrips , scale , andfungus gnat . Rinse plant with H2O , dab touch on area with 70 % fray alcohol , or apply aninsecticidal soapfor severe infestations . Garden pests include aphids andslugs .
TRADESCANTIA VARIETIES
Photo by : Proven Winners
Purple Spiderwort — Buy now from Proven WinnersTradescantia zebrina
Zones:8 - 12Exposure : Part shade to shadeHabit : Spreading trail habitSize:10 to 14 inches tall and wideBloom clock time : plant may bloom periodically yr - round . colour : Purple foliage with hoar - unripened highlights , hot pink undersides . Flowers are clean or lavender .
The trailing purple foliation looks attractive by itself or when flux with other plants . utilise in hang basketball hoop or as a stand - alone speech pattern . Plant as an one-year ground screening in shady bed , or as a twelvemonth - daily round perennial in warmer climates . Can be grown indoors as a houseplant .
New Vogue ™ feel Flirty ™ —Buy now from Proven WinnersTradescantiahybrid
Zones:10 - 12 , usually turn indoors or as an annualExposure : mass medium to bright light indoors , part shade outdoorsHabit : Trailing habitSize:2 to 4 inch improbable , trails to 36 inchesBloom time : flora may bloom sporadically spring to descend when grown outdoors . semblance : pinkish and greenish striped foliage with purple undersurface
The pinkish and green stripy foliation expect as if it was painted on . This trailing plant is perfect for hanging baskets or as a spiller element in mixed containers .
' Webmaster ' Spiderwort — Buy now from Proven WinnersTradescantiahybrid
Zones:3 - 9Exposure : Part sunlight to sunHabit : mound habitSize : Up to 18 inches magniloquent , 24 inches wideBloom clip : Early to mid - summerColor : Green leaf with lilac - colored blooms
The warm imperial flowers have a soft lilac edge and are enceinte for spiderwort at 2 inch across-the-board . ripe grown in part sun to sun , and disregard the plant back after bloom to regenerate the leaf .
Photo by : Fabrizio Guarisco / Shutterstock
' Nanouk’Tradescantia albiflora
Zones:10 - 12Exposure : Part shade to shade , or spiritualist to bright collateral light indoorsHabit : Low trailing habitSize:3 to 6 inches tall , 12 to 24 inches wideBloom time : Spring to fallColor : Cream , dark-green , and pink stripy foliation with Battle of Magenta - pink underside . blossom have white , yellow , and pink accent .
This new cultivar grow thick erect leaves with salient diversification in shades of pink , emollient , green , and purple . Use as a living accent in hanging pots or baskets indoors . plant life can be placed outdoors during warmer month .
pic by : Jimenezar / Shutterstock
regal HeartT. pallida
Zones:8 - 11Exposure : Full Lord’s Day to partial shadeHabit : Trailing spreading habitSize:1 to 2 feet tall and wideBloom time : SummerColor : Purple foliage , pink flowers
Lanced - shaped purple foliage can reach up to 7 inches long . This versatile tender perennial can be grown in a range of lightheaded conditions and is useful as a ground cover , butt on plant , in basketful or containers . Grow indoors year - bout as a houseplant . Foliage color will be deep with more Lord’s Day .
photograph by : a.pao / Shutterstock
Inch Plant , small - foliage spiderwortT. fluminensis
Zones:9 - 12Exposure : Full sun to partial shade , with security from hot afternoon sunHabit : Spreading or drop back habitSize:6 to 9 inch marvellous , 9 to 24 inch wideBloom time : SummerColor : gullible leaf , blanched flowers
The vigorous growth wont give this specie utilitarian as a groundcover . Use as edge , in containers or baskets . May also be grown as a houseplant . Inch works is moot invasive in some areas of the due south . In summation to the consecutive coinage , varieties include ‘ Tricolor ’ , ‘ Trailing Gold ’ and ‘ White Stripe ’ .
exposure by : fanny harryanto / Shutterstock
' Tricolor ' , syn . boat lily , huitre plant , Moses - in - the - CradleT. spathacea , syn . Rhoeo spathacea
Zones:9 - 11Exposure : Full sunlight to fond shade , with protection from red-hot afternoon sunHabit : Upright habitSize:6 to 12 in tall , 12 to 24 in wideBloom clip : flower throughout the yearColor : Pink and greenish foliage with magenta underside ; bloodless flowers
steel - form leaves up to 5 in long are vertically striped with pink and green . erect plants promptly develop multiple rosettes , making this a good choice as a groundcover , as border , or in pots . Can be grow outdoors year - round in warmer climates or as a houseplant .
picture by : Nikolay Kurzenko / Shutterstock
Virginia Spiderwort , syn . common spiderwort , spider lilyT. virginiana
Zones:4 - 9Exposure : Partial sun to shadeHabit : upright piano diffuse habitSize:18 to 36 inch marvellous , 12 to 18 inches wideBloom time : springiness to summertime , with possible rebloom in fallColor : Green leaf , purplish - blue flowers
Native to many regions of the U.S. , this hardy perennial makes a versatile addition to woodland borders and pee garden . Clusters of triangular purple - dreary blossom bloom above strappy grass - like foliage from late spring to mid - summer . Plants may go semi - dormant in the heat of summer , reblooming again in autumn when the atmospheric condition cool down .
pic by : Izabela Edmunds / Shutterstock
' Sweet Kate ' , syn . ' Blue and Gold’T. andersoniana
Zones:4 - 9Exposure : Full sun to partial shadeHabit : Upright broadcast habitSize:10 to 18 inches tall , 12 to 18 inch wideBloom time : Late outflow to mid - summerColor : Gold leafage , purple flowers
This unusual change is grown for the bright gilded strappy leaf that contrasts dramatically with inscrutable over-embellished flowers . works in a site that receive full to partial Dominicus for best foliage semblance , with protection from hot afternoon Dominicus to prevent leaf tan . Use as a resist - alone accent , in containers , sundry margin or woodland gardens .
TROUBLESHOOTING
Indoor Houseplants:
Outdoor Plants:
DISPLAY IDEAS
photograph by : jamaludinyusuppp / Shutterstock
